Invention and use of hitches are known to the public. As for example, perhaps the most common hitch mount is the ball and socket mount. In this configuration, a metal standoff is fastened to the underside of a vehicle bumper or the vehicle itself, and extends horizontally beyond and away from the vehicle. Attached to the top surface of the standoff is a large metal ball, providing a hitching means for the desired load.
To attach the load to the ball hitch, a metal socket is necessary. This metal socket has a hollow underside in such a shape so that it can be engaged with the ball. The ball and socket are locked together but the socket can move laterally. Thus, as the vehicle makes a turn, the socket can rotate to accommodate a change in direction.
However, there are several problems with this standard ball and socket type mount. First of all, it requires that the user have a trailer or like carrier with the necessary socket. A load must be transferred to and secured on the carrier before it can be transported, which is generally inconvenient and time consuming. Another problem with these ball and socket mounts is that it is often difficult to secure the socket to the ball when the desired load is heavy. The user must back the vehicle up nearly right to the trailer, and then try to pull the socket and trailer up and over the ball. Obviously, this is not a very precise process, and often requires the vehicle to be backed up and repositioned several times.
To ease this process, trailer hitching guides have been created. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,185 to Richard O. Chakroff and Christopher N. Chakroff, introduces a trailer tongue alignment guide for centering the socket of a ball-type hitch above the ball as a vehicle is backed toward the trailer. The invention consists of a base plate with a flat bottom surface with a hole in it. The hole is aligned with the hole in the vehicle draw bar so that the base plate is clamped between the ball and the draw bar by means of the ball fastener. No portion of this base plate extends into any substantial engagement with other portions of the vehicle or with the draw bar and therefore the base plate may be easily mounted to any conventional, existing type draw bar. A rigid V-guide is removably mounted to the base plate by means of engaging male and female coupling members formed on the base-plate and the guide. These permit the guide to be simply lifted and removed from the base plate after the trailer socket is engaged with the ball, thus preventing the V-guide from restricting the articulation of the trailer with respect to the towing vehicle during turns.
While this invention can ease some of the difficulties associated with standard ball and socket hitches, the fact remains that it is still not convenient or easy to use. The user must first buy a ball and socket unit and attach it to the vehicle. The socket unit must then be attached to the trailer, and then, the alignment guide must also be attached to the vehicle. In addition, while the guide helps align the ball and socket, it still requires quite a bit of accuracy in backing up the vehicle.
Thus, there is a clear need for the present invention which provides a hitching system that can be utilized at either the front or rear of a vehicle. It is designed to directly contain a transportable load, thus eliminating the need for a trailer or like carrier. The new invention is further designed to allow a load to be conveniently affixed to the mount without necessitating several trials, using a guide, or employing the help of another person. Further, the new invention allows a load to be easily attached to the mount without requiring above average strength. Additionally, the new invention provides an automatic locking means, so as to ensure greater safety for the load. The prior art does not provide these advantages, while the present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.